Camp of the Gods
by Solovete Iverson
Summary: Is it a privelege to be the son of Hades and Persephone? Not even knowing your true power until your 12th birthday? Ehhh...I guess you could say so.
1. I ditch my undead matador bodyguard

Based on the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series…

I present…

**The Camp of the Gods**

Nobody can help it if they're born a son of two major gods. Most kids would say "Hey! That's pretty awesome!" Others would say, being a god sounds like a really boring job. They just prance around Mount Olympus all day with flower wreaths and all that stuff. Neither is even true for me. My life is a LOT more tortuous than that. Especially considering that I'm the product of a god of the Underworld and the dead and the goddess of spring and flowers. Having satyrs prance past you and taunt you with that insult doesn't make it any better for me. I mean seriously. What am I supposed to be, the minor god of skeleton warriors and dandelions?

I've complained about this my entire godly life, but my parents just stare at me like I'm some type of ungrateful loon. Persephone just says "Its fine honey, you'll get some nice mighty power someday. Right?" She clenches her teeth at Hades and glares at him with those flashing eyes of hers. Hades just stares forward with his black- no, I correct that- empty colored eyes. I know, the color sounds pretty horrid, but he _is_ my dad, so I'm not going to be mean about him. I'm telling the truth when I say they're the color of emptiness. Luckily I got my mom's side of traits. Hades usually summons Megaera when this happens and makes her look me in the eye and say "You will be great someday." Megaera's yellow, Fury eyes are just disturbing, and I notice they always say "someday", so I don't really bother complaining anymore. You see, I don't even _know_ what my power is. I guess someone came up with this rule where you don't truly learn or master your power until you're 12. Because, hey, gods are immortal, so what's the rush to give them their power? Olympus has tried this out before, and it did not go well. Imagine having these little babies toddling around conjuring up hail instead of just going in their diapers. But I bet you don't even know the tantalization the "not knowing" forces on you, because you're probably just a normal kid, somewhere out there reading this story and laughing at me or pitying my misfortune. Because even if you were a half- blood, you would still be better off than I am.

* * *

**Chapter 1: I ditch my undead matador bodyguard**

"Senor Skotinaphos! Please wait!" A heavily accented Latin voice called out desperately. "Your father will be an angry bull if I do not make sure you are always safe. You are my charge and I-" I stop sprinting and turn around and roll my eyes impatiently, and I couldn't help but feel even more tormented as I watched the Spanish matador prance toward me awkwardly. His ungraceful, bony silhouette was framed by a gloomy fields and the pitch black cavern roof that towers high over our heads. Cortés panted as he slowed before me. He wiped his heavily tasseled and ornamented cream matador outfit sleeve on his forehead, and then readjusted his black hat while shaking his head.

"What?" I said innocently. Cortés was quiet for a moment, and continued to polish his 2- piece outfit. He was a regular – looking matador, but he would've scared a bull off with his creepy skeleton face and literally bony hands.

"Senor Skotinaphos, you should know better than to torture me like this! You run faster than _El Cohete_, the Rocket, my oldest enemy. I can never catch you. But I could overtake him!" Cortés beamed (if a skeleton could even smile) proudly.

I sighed again at my incredibly annoying and self- confident bodyguard.

"You know he's the reason you even came here, right? If my dad hadn't even decided to make you my personal bodyguard, you would probably be sentenced to Tantalus's quadrant of the Underworld. And I told you not to call me Skotinaphos! It sounds so un-Greek or god-like. Call me Scott! You know I hate the name Skotinaphos. Don't even understand it. I mean seriously? Dark light? Could you get any more original?" I could tell Cortés was about to say something, but suddenly something large and powerful swooped over our heads.

"Cawww!" it screeched in a shrieking scream. A creature that resembled a leathery woman with sharp fangs hovered close to the ground. It was clad in a short black robe and black combat boots, batty wings emerging from the back of her robe. I grunted at it and nodded it forward calmly as Cortés cowered behind me. I grasped his satiny suit firmly and brought him forward.

"Dude? You're dead. The Fury-"Cortés suddenly gasped with fright. "The FURY can't hurt you." I could hear the Fury hiss behind me and chuckle at Cortés's startled reaction. Cortés began clattering and trembling like crazy, like he always does when he's summoned before my father. I held up my hand commandingly and the Fury went silent. I guess there are some perks to being son of the god of the Underworld.

"But-but master, the Erinny- er Kindly One could torture me until I wish to die all over again." Cortés whimpered and stared at the flattened black grass, avoiding the smirking stare of the levitating Fury. I guess you had to feel bad for the guy. It was pretty tough being stuck in the Underworld and having some type of Fury-phobia. The Fury, who I was pretty sure was Alecto, screamed impatiently.

"_Let us rush to greet the king and his queen of the Underworld_!" Alecto cried. I rolled my eyes in my head at the un-needed formality of the Fury, but I followed her through the blackened plains to the dark castle.

Bones and dark, billowing matter shivered around our feet as we walked through the seemingly endless expanse. I could hear the sloshing sound of Charon rowing his dark barge in the distance, and grinned as I imagined him staring distastefully at the muddy Styx waters, wishing he had an Italian label poncho. My parents' castle loomed like death, sharp turrets growing like stalagmites, sending out a beam that chilled you "to the marrow", as some of the deceased said. To me, it was just plain home. The strict gate and door guards let us in glumly and escorted us until we reached the cavernous throne room.

"Oh honey, you're back!" Persephone rushed down gracefully from her new skull throne and hugged me. She looked delighted that she had a chance to step off her ghastly throne, which was at the moment a replacement for her dark flower seat. Her bright yellow chiton swished as she ran on the black marble, her clacking and swishing the only sound in the room for a few awkward seconds. Over her shoulder I saw Hades stare at me blankly, then crack a slight smile and wave his hand weakly. He seemed more tired than usual, probably meaning some complaining dead person had visited him or he had a fight with mom. I smiled back at him and hoped he was okay. Persephone probably thought the grin was for her, so she fondly ruffled my black hair and stared into my grassy eyes. "Oh, you're growing up as fast as a fresh peony!" I held in a groan as mom continued to compare me with flowers.

"Alecto, what is the matter? I never summoned you over here." Persephone suddenly scurried back to her throne and settled onto it uncomfortably. I realized I had never asked the Fury about why she needed to visit my dad. Alecto bowed and finally touched her boot-clad feet to the ground.

"Your Majesty, I am just here to see if you need any orders." Dad frowned.

"Is business here really that slow now?" Alecto nodded cautiously. Hades sighed and let his head rest in his hand. It was pretty weird, because dad didn't like having more groaning people around. I was guessing he probably just wanted a distraction from my mom's own complaining.

"You are dismissed." Alecto opened her mouth (which I have to admit, really stank), but closed it again (for which I was grateful). She spread her leathery, grey wings and flapped steadily towards the cavern roof high above, into the never-ending gloom.

"Well, glad that's over", mom said crisply. She looked like she was going to come off her throne again, but stopped. Dad frowned at her, and then continued to stare forward with that same empty expression.

"Why don't you escort Scott over to Upper Soil, Cortés?" I had to admit; sometimes my dad was pretty laidback about these things. Ever since a guy named Percy Jackson appeared and vanquished Kronos, in a way, he was becoming less worried about the people on the surface.

"Dad, Cortés can't go up to the surface! He'll be noticed!" I had never been taken on an expedition to the surface with Cortés or any other skeletal guard before, so I didn't know exactly how it worked. Hades smiled at me like I was some naïve little kid.

"The Mist will protect him, Scott. Remember the Mist?" I still didn't understand how a skeleton matador could look in the least normal, even with the mist and real flesh. Cortés and I began to step out, when suddenly Persephone and Hades launched into an all-out fight. I couldn't see them, but I could very faintly hear them

"I hate being down here! Why won't you let me go?"

"You've been down here for nearly all eternity, and NOW you go off complaining!"

"It's all because of you and your stupid fruit and selfishness! The least you can do is let Scott live on the surface and let him have the life I never HAD!" Persephone was screaming hoarsely, and I could hear tears choking her throat.

"I_ am not selfish_. My brothers get all of the stronger posts, and then they go off and mock me and leave me to rot with these miserable people! I find it the opposite of selfish that I would need a living companion!" Dad was seriously letting out some emotion, but I had no idea about who to side with. Strong emotion was literally hitting me smack in the face too. I suddenly heard pattering, which I guessed was my mom stomping angrily away to her chamber. But instead of going away from me, towards our chambers, it seemed to be coming _toward_ me. I suddenly hid behind a pillar outside and whispered "What is she doing?"

"I do not know," a voice replied. I nearly yelped in fright right then and there, but I suddenly realized I had forgotten about Cortés.

"Quiet, alright? I've got to see what's going on!" With all this whispering, I hadn't noticed how close my mom's footsteps got. I heard her talking softly to one of the guards in the corner. I peeked around the door and saw that the other person was…peeling off their face? I didn't even know that was possible for skeletons! But when they finished peeling the face off, I realized something even more horrid. This person was alive. Pink, rosy cheeks blossomed on a young woman's peach face. Her pink lips spoke softly as she glanced nervously from side to side, her blue eyes swaying around her elegant nose. But then, when I looked even closer, I wasn't even sure exactly what color her hair or eyes were. All I knew was that she was _gorgeous_. Her beauty was so confusing and entrancing my head started getting muddled and I felt dizzy and light and giddy all at the same time. I tried to listen hard, but I could only grab a few words.

"Out…Hades…Scott…" I tensed when I heard my name, but this woman was making me curious, so I stayed and listened a little longer.

"Zeus…Demeter…offers…update you…," from the other woman.

"Thank you Rodi. Check with you tomorrow!" Oddly, the last part my mom said was loud and clear. But what type of name was Rodi? But I didn't have time to think about the name, because Rodi suddenly started putting the mask back on and walking out of the doors toward me. I wanted so badly to see her up close, but somehow I knew this woman was really powerful, and I didn't want to get in her way. I fought back this odd feeling of giddiness and began to prepare to run.

"Master Scott, we must go!" Cortés hissed. I smiled and was about to thank Cortés for using my correct name, but what he said next really startled me. "Miss Aphrodite is coming towards us! And I believe she is helping your mother with a scheme to break your mother out of the Underworld, so it would be doubly dangerous to have her know we heard them! We must get you to the surface!" I felt embarrassed that a guy who had only started learning English when he entered the Underworld figured out the Rodi and Persephone scheme before me, but I listened to him. Before Aphrodite emerged through the open doors to find we were hiding behind them, I turned and sprinted, leaving my bodyguard standing there, his skeletal jaw hanging lower than usual.


	2. I play with graveyard flowers

**Review so I can catch more mistakes! Sorry, but this chapter may seem kind of slow and boring because I have to explain a little.**

**Chapter 2: I play with graveyard flowers**

I began panting heavily as I got closer to the murky Styx waters. _How could Aphrodite even get down here? Why would she help my mom in the first place? _I knew I couldn't keep running if these questions were bothering me, so I paused and sat cross-leg position on the grass. So there I was, only a week away from my 12th birthday, and I was running away from home because of a goddess who was my mom. Actually, I was running from 2 goddesses. Aphrodite, if I remembered correctly from my instinct and lessons, was supposed to be a goddess of love and harmony. Her weakness was feminine stuff, and the Underworld was far from feminine. Even Ares didn't dare come here when he had a choice. As far as I knew, Aphrodite was on a neutral basis with my mom…and I wasn't exactly sure about my dad. Persephone had a better relationship with Demeter, Hecate, Artemis, and Athena, not Aphrodite. So none of this was even making sense! But Hades and Persephone weren't exactly a harmonious couple…but wouldn't Aphrodite want to fix that instead of break it apart?

I gave up on thinking and pressed on as I extracted a black satin pouch from my pocket. It was a gift from some centaur named Chiron that I had since my tenth birthday, when my parents decided I could start visiting the Upper Soil. I rubbed some grainy powder in my fingers, and then threw it in the air. I could feel my godly form becoming its true self before I disappeared. Now let me just tell you something about godly form. It's not exactly a comfortable form because it saps your energy and makes you feel like you've been stretched and put in an oversized yarn sweater, and many gods personally prefer a form they can customize. But I guess godly form can feel nice, because you get this nice glow around you that give an aura of warmth….but I still prefer my normal form. Just saying. My brown duster, white collared button up, dark wash jeans, and hiking boots reappeared as I surfaced in a random graveyard.

"Why can't that powder take me somewhere else?" But in a way, I was comforted by the serenity of graveyards, probably because of my dad. I strolled away from the Victorian fencing and up to a willow tree, where I decided to kneel down. Whenever I traveled, the godly form seemed to take up even more energy, so I felt light-headed. I had some ambrosia and nectar, and then leaned back against the tree trunk. Having mom and dad fight all the time made me scared and angry at the same time. I wanted my dad to just let my mom go, but they were my parents, and I wouldn't want to have dad all alone. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed a sudden flash of some brown and white feathers.

"What-what was that?" I stared around for a while, and then tried to calm myself down. _You're just really worried, you know. Just stop thinking about it and relax, and don't start grudging on your parents for this. _But still, I felt infuriated that mom would do this, yet I felt bad my dad would keep her in the underworld. I curled up against the tree trunk and closed my eyes as some soft breeze fanned my hair. Suddenly, I heard this swishing sound, like fresh leaves brushing against each other. In front of me, some dandelions were wilting incredibly fast and turning black. I tensed as I grabbed for my Stygian blade.

_Who's doing that? Show yourself!_ I figured it could only be godly power, so I probed my mind around to see if there were any others lurking nearby. But before I could do anything else, the bird-shaped blur I saw before flashed again and went into a tree, hidden in shadow. I tried to calm down, and I noticed the dandelions were growing from the ground again, somehow, losing their black sheen and becoming bright green. Great. I had the power to control flowers? But my eyes caught on something else. A squirrel behind me was laying incredibly still, its eyes closed and its fur the only motion I saw. I checked for its pulse, but there was nothing at all.

_Did I do that? How- what type of monster am I?_ I kept wishing it would come back, but nothing happened. I began digging a hole in the ground to bury the squirrel in, but suddenly the squirrel began moving again, and it scurried away. A great weight lifted off my chest and I nearly laughed. _Cawww!_ The mysterious eagle screeched loudly and I began worrying for revived squirrel. Suddenly, three shriveled old ladies seemed to appear from nowhere, each hauling a basket of yarn and some knitting supplies. Who knits in a graveyard?

"Mmmm…don't think he's too aware of his power, is he?" The old lady holding a ball of golden yarn stared at the running thread almost dreamily. I tried to scramble to the other side of the tree trunk and run away from the old ladies, but some odd feeling was holding me back, as though it was…fate. I glared back at them, but they only seemed to converse among themselves.

"No, I don't think so. Too bad, but he needs to learn to control it, or I see bad things in his future…very bad…yes…" Another one knitting the yarn into this weird yarn tapestry cackled to herself.

"Not only bad luck for him, but for others as well!" The last old lady took out a pair of shears and clipped the yarn with a _snick _that gave me shivers. The trio cackled loudly as the end of the thread on the tapestry drooped lifelessly. "Ooh, look, he's mad. Do you know your power, boy?" All three of the hags stared at me, their drooping lips curled into malicious smiles. Their beady eyes stared at me from under their bandannas expectantly as my nails dug into the willow tree's trunk. Suddenly, I felt a sickening lurch as the tree began to shrink. I stared back at it, panicked, and saw that the life was draining out of it. _Not again! No! I can't do this! Come back to life! Please! _The willow tree suddenly began plumping again, and it grew greener leaf vines than before.

"Haha! Very powerful indeed! Maybe he is not to be reckoned with, yes? A major god, possibly…" The hag who knitted stared at me and seemed to ponder something even I was clueless about.

"Zeus! Transport him for us please." _Zeus?_ The bald eagle swooped down and morphed into a stormy haired man in a blue pinstripe suit. His eyes seemed to emanate a sharp energy as they stared down from a hooked nose. He seemed part angry, part calm, but ready to tip in either direction, like a sudden thunderstorm or light drizzle. In a large, strong hand he hefted a crackling lightning bolt and put his other hand in front of me, palm-first. I had heard of him before for sure, but I had never seen him in real life, so his presence startled me. I had only met gods like my mom, my dad, Hermes, Athena, Artemis, and Hecate, but I still wasn't used to the strong aura they gave out. It always made me realize I had an aura as well, which slightly disturbed me.

"What are you doing Zeus? Please! Don't punish me just because I'm the son of your brother! I-I've never gone into your territory! I promise!" I sounded pathetic, but I learned you have to act humble in front of major gods, especially the king, unless you want to become a pile of lint-colored dust. Zeus set down his lightning bolt and placed both hands on his stomach as he laughed in a deep tone.

"I'm not that cruel, Skotinaphos! But you watch out, or you shall be disintegrated before you can beg for mercy. Your father cannot venture into my territory, and neither can you. But maybe I'll take pity on you, since you are the son of my lovely daughter Persephone." A peacock squawked indignantly from somewhere above, and I figured it was Hera being mad at Zeus for cheating on her with her own sister, Demeter. "Now, I'm guessing you've seen some of your power, yes?" I nodded carefully. Zeus rubbed the coarse black hairs of his beard between his fingers and mumbled to himself. "I rarely make appearances on the ground or for a minor god…or so you seem."

"I'm not really powerful, Lord Zeus. I guess I can just control plants or something," I reasoned. I had no desire for a great power, yet a tugging feeling pulled inside me, wanting me to become a major god. Zeus chuckled and shook his head.

"Oh, no, my boy, I'm afraid those powers belong to Demeter and Pan, may his soul be blest in Nature." Zeus lowered his eyes in respect for a couple of seconds. Then he looked back up, his eyes staring at me with almost a hint of pity. "But maybe you are just a minor god. We may have to send you to work for your grandmother Demeter one day, but for now I guess we should get you somewhere safe where no other gods can exploit you or harm you." Just as he was about to snap his fingers, I placed a hand on his large wrist.

"Uhh. Where am I going? Why are you protecting me?"

"I'm sure you might be powerful someday, boy. We can't risk you being influenced by…others. It would be utterly dangerous. The Fates, I'm sure, agree with me." The Fates tittered from behind Zeus, but were silenced by his threatening lightning bolt.

"Watch your back, Lord Zeus," said Clotho, "You might find a rival in both us and this boy." She had snuck up behind me and placed her wrinkled hands on both my shoulders. I shivered as she put her face close to mine. She smelled horrible, like moth-eaten sweaters and raw meat. Zeus looked frustrated by all the teasing, but even he submitted to the Fates.

"Well Skotinaphos, it is high time for you to get to a safe place. Correct?" Before I could answer, he snapped his fingers and there was a sound like thunder. Gratefully, I grabbed onto his arm and up and away we flew, the Fates cackling behind until their sounds faded away. The rushing winds stung my cheeks and bit at them fiercely, but I managed to hold onto Zeus's suit-sleeve. I could have sworn he looked at his pinstriped sleeve in an annoyed way and mumbled something like _Always got to iron it with my lightning bolt whenever this happens._

"Lord Zeus?"

"Yes, my boy?"

"Where are you taking me?"

"You are going to Camp Half-blood."


	3. I arrive at the Camp of the Grim

Please review guys! Thanks so much for your support!

Chapter 3: I arrive at the Camp of the Grim

I somehow managed to open my eyes as Zeus and I touched down on a grassy hill. Up ahead, a pale blue barn loomed over the hill between the trees, and I began to wonder if Zeus was tricking me, and I was already going to start my work with plants and crops. Zeus eyed me for a second and muttered, "Presentable." I stared at my clothes, which looked normal, except they had the odor of the Fates and the smell of dandelions. Trust me; it's not a great combo.

"Well, I'll have to leave you here, Skotinaphos. _Chiron_! Come greet your new guest," Zeus bellowed up the hill. He stepped back as a man in a crumpled tweed suit appeared at the top of the hill. The man looked incredibly wise and friendly, yet his brown tussled beard and eyes conveyed something like exhaustion. Zeus nudged me in the back.

"…Err...Hello there!" I said. Chiron laughed from the top of the hill, and I immediately liked him. _Chiron…it sounds so familiar…it's on the tip of my tongue…where did that name come from?_ I winced as I remembered my mom droning on and on and on about Greek mythology. All I remembered was that he was an important teacher of heroes, he was the son of Kronos, he was unusually wise and calm for a…centaur. I glanced back up at Chiron and shook my head. That guy couldn't be the real famed centaur! How could he even live that long, and why, of all places, would he live in a barn on a hill?

"You must be Skotinaphos! Did you enjoy that gift I sent you? My, you've grown quite a bit." It _was_ him! I nodded back at the centaur and was shocked as I saw him slowly lift himself out of the wheelchair, exposing a glimmering white horse body. Chiron shook his hooves and slowly warmed them up as he stared at me.

"Oh, the powder is useful for my travels. It's the reason I came to this farm!" I knew I shouldn't have expected Chiron to laugh, but I waited anyway. Chiron just stared at his black hooves so sadly; I wanted to stick my head in the dirt. Chiron looked up, but only at Zeus.

"Excuse me, dear half-brother, my Lord Zeus! May- well- _you_ forbid that your lightning bolt should ever go out. Please pardon the odd grammar. It's quite hard to work around that phrase when it includes your name." Zeus smiled at Chiron grimly and suggested he promise upon the River Styx to keep me safe until I left, just to really make sure I stayed in one piece.

"I _have_ made you immortal Chiron, and I hope you take this opportunity to protect all half and full god children alike."

Chiron almost looked regretful, but he gave no excuses and he swore upon the River Styx as somewhere in the distance, a lightning bolt appeared. _Such drama, _I heard Chiron mutter. "Well, come up Skotinaphos! I, Chiron Kentavros, give you permission to enter this camp!" I began running when Zeus prodded me in the shoulder with his bolt, who chuckled when I yelped.

"I only take pity if you show proper respect! Just remember that, son of my brother!" I continued trudging up the hill and finally saw that the land ahead was really a camp. Beyond the trees, I saw deadly swords and leather shields, colorful cabins, and statues of gods and goddesses scattered in the distance. This was my kind of camp.

"Welcome, Skotinaphos, to Camp Half Blood. As you may realize, this is not a farm for old domestic animals like me." I could feel my ears started turning red. "That's alright. I just hope you won't run into trouble with these other mischievous campers. No need to explain yourself, Zeus sent me some information of you ahead of your arrival."

"Where exactly are all these kids you say are here? Do they all stay in that barn or something?" It was a pretty weird thought, though after the events of the day, I would believe that the barn was full of hippie children and Chiron helped them find their inner meditative state through the art of egg tie-dye. It wasn't a far cry from helping a bunch of troubled, demigod heroes into meditative and warrior state.

Chiron stared at me seriously and only said "What are your powers, my son?" I looked back at him incredulously. Was he serious? Yet I felt like I could trust Chiron, so I told him about the tree, the flowers, and the squirrel. He nodded understandingly, but at the same time he looked troubled.

A strong wind began upsetting the grass on the hill, and I finally realized that all this time the sound of many kids was could be heard from somewhere behind me. "Go along into the camp. I will meet you later." Before I could ask for directions, he turned me around and pushed me in, and I was lost among the many other kids jostling around.

"Watch where you're going," said one who had an uncanny resemblance to Ares. I began noticing all of the kids had an uncanny resemblance to one god or the other. Kids who looked like Apollo were stringing luminous bows; other ones who looked like Aphrodite were flipping through Teen Vogues and squealing, jabbing wordlessly at some great new product.

Soon, I figured out the name of the camp for myself. These children were the products of gods and probably mortals, guessing by their minor aura. Yet somehow I could sense one or more people in the camp were not ordinary campers. They had a stronger aura than a normal half-blood, yet they were not fully god. I dismissed it as my stomach growled loudly, and I knew I needed more than some godly supplements.

"Excuse me, but do you have somewhere I can stay or get something to eat?" I asked a girl wearing a green wreath and a flowery ensemble. She resembled Demeter and Persephone so much, I felt like I could trust her just as much as Chiron. The girls light spray of freckles seemed to grow paler as she stared at me and walked away.

"Hey," I heard another girl's voice call out. I felt a hand clasp onto my shoulder and turn me around roughly. "Are you lost or something? Where did you come from?" A girl with chestnut hair glanced over my shoulder before examining me. Her eyes were a bright blue, mischievous but more intimidating than most eyes. Her nearly elfish ears and nose reminded me of Hermes, who often brought the dead to the Underworld and joked around with me, George, and Martha, his caduceus snakes. Well, maybe George didn't get it most of the time, but Martha and I were pretty attentive listeners.

Unlike her dad, the girl looked horribly upset and disturbed, as though someone had just blown their halitosis breath on her. Her mouth was set in a grim frown as she continued to inspect me. Satisfied, she looked back at my face. She muttered something that sounded vaguely like_ orca._

Suddenly, Chiron trotted up to us and crossed his arms. "How is the camp looking so far, my boy?" I looked away from the Hermes girl and put on a fake smile for him.

"Oh! It's great so far, this…girl was just talking to me about the camp."

"Oh?" Chiron raised an eyebrow and stared at the brunette suspiciously. The girl suddenly pointed at me, her finger hovering between my eyes, not moving her sight from Chiron.

"So when were you planning to tell me about him?" she demanded. Chiron tugged on his beard unhappily and paced around the dirt as some demigods momentarily stopped to watch. Chiron shooed them away and stared at us both thoughtfully.

"Abigail, I'm very sorry, but he just arrived. Skotinaphos, this is Abigail McMillan. Abigail, this is Skotinaphos."

"Who?" Abigail looked totally confused and demanded that he repeat the pronunciation of my name again.

"He's a son of Hades and Persephone." Abigail looked befuddled again, then it seemed like a light bulb went off in her head, pushing through her ADHD and dyslexia. She grumbled to herself and the frown that already existed on Abigail's face just deepened.

"So that makes him-" Abigail stopped and re-examined me, as though she had missed something crucial the last time, and then the orca whisper. Again.

"What's your power Skotinaphos?" Abigail tried hard to pronounce my name right, but it just came out sounding like "Scot eeny a foes." Her face didn't allow me to judge whether she was joking, or she really couldn't pronounce, because it was all twisted. Either way, that question was the last straw.

"Why do you need to know about that? I'm fine; I don't need your help or sympathy."

"Nice welcome for your welcome committee, eh," Abigail smirked.

"Just for the record, you can call me Scott. Fine, Hermes's daughter, I'll treat you like a welcome committee if that's what you really want." The girl winced as I said Hermes's daughter, but she opened her mouth to answer back defiantly.

"Abigail..."Chiron warned. "Well, if you want to show him around so badly, I appoint you Scott's official guide for Camp Half- Blood. Now, if you will excuse me, Mr. D is expecting me to play pinochle, and he _mildly_ suggested that I save my Frank Sinatra Top 10 Hits from sudden death by grape juice. So goodbye!" Chiron approached Abigail, and I heard him say something like "_You can't be sure it's him"._

Then he galloped away quickly. Now I was the one who was uncomfortable, because I definitely didn't want Abigail as a guide, and I wanted to ask Chiron about his whisper (what was with this camp and whispers?), but I followed her as she introduced me to the teachers, the grumpy pinochle player who I recognized as Dionysus, the lava wall, the theater, stables, fields, lake, and finally, the cabins. Abigail looked at me; her face set in a satisfied grin. If I hadn't known better, I would call that girl a daughter of Ares.

"Sorry, _neither_ of your parents have a cabin here at Camp Half Blood. But you could share with the Demeter kids if you want," she said, pointing to a leafy-vine covered greenhouse and cabin. Tanned kids with bright green eyes were racing around with pots and handbooks, yelling things like "Succulents! I need some balanced conditions ASAP!"

"No thanks, I'll just be heading on my way back to home sweet Underworld tonight." Abigail suddenly looked startled and her eyes grew as wider and wider. For a couple of seconds I thought she actually cared about my welfare in the Underworld, but I realized people sometimes said that meaning they were going to meet Death. Actually, he wasn't really a bad guy once you got to know him, as long as you were healthy and all. He hates people who feed on junk food.

"Ah, its fine. I actually live in the Underworld you know. It's not just a onetime only visit or, maybe in some demigod cases, 2nd or 4th time. You demigods get lucky with my sister Mack _all_ the time. She's the one who lets you go to the Isles of the Blest and all that. Well, moving on, I usually only leave in the spring, but I would still need some allergy medication and you know that's not really-" Abigail held up a silencing hand and nodded at me to signal that I was blabbering too much. I glared at her and waited for her to explain herself.

"No, that's not what I meant. Hermes and his…kids aren't that simple-minded you know."

"Oh, I _know_." Abigail rolled her eyes and continued.

"What I'm saying is, the monsters come out to prey mostly at night. You probably don't want to get mixed up with a gang of Harpies because they will tear limb to limb, regardless of some minor godly status." I felt a pang of frustration as I heard Abigail mention I was someone of minor godly status. I tried to calm myself down by remembering that there were actually a lot of minor gods. There was Mack, Plu, Zag, and Mel (the creepy one). They were all my family. But I guess I was the only one given a decent human-like nickname. Scott…

"Scott?" Abigail was staring at me and waving a frantic hand in front of my face.

"Yeah? What is it? Did something happen?" Abigail looked exhausted from waving her hand in my face, and her face turned red as she talked again in a deadly quiet tone.

"Would I be standing here calmly if there was an emergency? Now, Chiron just sent me an Iris Message saying to invite you to the semi-annual Talent-Fest today. Some new tradition he came up with to _cultivate our inner self and enhance our mental power_." So I guess I wasn't far off on that 70's meditation-like idea. "It will be a blast to be there tonight; blah blah…I'd rather swipe something from a gas stop where the clerk is fast asleep. Now that is actually some fun stuff right there, especially if you go with some fake mustaches and a fri-" Abigail stopped. I waited for her to continue, but she never did.

"I am sorry, you have just been disconnected from the Abigail network," I said robotically. Abigail's eyes looked all watery and I immediately regretted it. I stood there in silence for a couple of minutes before Abigail finally gathered herself up and started walking towards Cabin 11, a log cabin with a caduceus that looked like it had just recently been TP'ed. Abigail mournfully swept some toilet paper from the door and walked in, letting out some loud screams and laughter from the mischievous kids within.

"I have to practice," Abigail explained softly. This definitely wasn't the cocky girl I had met when I entered the camp.

"Hey, so where am I supposed to stay? Or would you rather I got turned to Harpy kibble on your doorstep?" It was a lame crack at a joke, but hey, I tried.

Abigail smiled meekly and just replied, "I guess you can stay here…there's probably a space big enough to sit in that hasn't been bombarded with eggs and toilet paper. It's pretty much our cabin's job to house travelers and un-claimed demigods, though we don't do much of a job-" Abigail's talking was muffled by a sudden explosion in one corner, then a burst of multi-colored Styrofoam peanuts and a recorded voice saying, "Haha, lo-ser. Haha, lo-ser." The explosion kids with features like Abigail's laughed and talked to some other kids who didn't appear to be Hermes's children. Oddly, they were all staring at Abigail in a way I couldn't put my finger on.

"Is it always like this?" I yelled, but it didn't appear that Abigail had heard me. She had plopped onto her bed and was fingering a bead necklace with 1 bead, a black one with a sea green trident on it. Her bunk was littered with road maps, a yellow plastic backpack, and skeleton keys, like she was preparing for some trip to a museum of locks. Abigail grabbed some headphones from the backpack and listened to them, muttering some words as she nodded her head. She pointed a finger at a clean square at the back of the room, near the exploding Styrofoam kids. I carefully edged towards the area, wondering endlessly if this would lead to my doom.


	4. The darkness is my friend

**Remember to review and vote on my poll! You guys seriously aren't reviewing or voting, so maybe I should just give up on writing a good story…**

**Chapter 4: The darkness is my friend**

Falling asleep became a blur in my memory, and the next thing I knew, I was having a chilling, sharp vision that seemed like it was being played in HD and surround-sound.

I was standing in darkness, and by stomach felt heavy. _Gods don't dream…_ I was suddenly afraid of not seeing where I was and falling. I couldn't see through the darkness at all. Every once in a while a spurt of magma would appear in the distance, confusing my eyes. My ears weren't doing much better, because all I could hear was occasional pounding and rumbling sounds that made me wince. Suddenly, a stronger trembling began, and I tried not to panic.

_Beware of gods who plot against you, planning to use you…the danger is not the power-hungry Titan clan, for they are banished. Rather, your danger is now those who are your very closest kin…_ _Please heed my warning young one. Yes, for I am your kin as well, but one of those few who cares for your safety. Listen to the glowing prophet's words, no matter the state the prophet is in. They are gifted, and not what they seem. _

The voice was booming in my head, but I couldn't recognize who it was. The voice was that of a woman's, but it was almost hard to tell, because it had a sort of muted, masculine tone underlying it. The sound was comforting but powerful, familiar but strange. Who are you? What do you mean? What was a "glowing prophet" supposed to be?

The voice sounded sad, and a lump swelled in my throat as I shared her confusion and sorrow. Suddenly, the black mist fell away and I was falling into a misty abyss, a scream stuck painfully in my throat._ Listen to the glowing prophet._ Below me, I saw the faint forms of jagged gray rocks. Suddenly, I felt a scratch against my arm and I saw golden ichor trickling from my forearm as I continued to freefall.

_Are we gods really all evil Skotinaphos? Don't you think we all make mistakes? _A voice was speaking to me from the rocks below me.

Another voice chimed in _Danger danger…maybe if you wanted to be the godly hero you should have paid attention to it earlier. _

The most sinister out of the voices suddenly spoke, like the sound of a knife and a grater being rubbed together. _You will fail alone, young god. You are puny and no one will listen to your warnings. But do not worry, we can take you in. We can show you just how precious you are. We can harvest your power to create a new group of power, overtaking those who dare to destroy and mock us. All of us together cannot fail like our ancestor's small attempt. You can defy prophecy._ The last sentence especially chilled me as fear took over curiosity, and I felt like I'd been thrown in one of those weird mystery shows. Now I knew how the person felt when the voices began telling them stuff, and it was horrifying.

My voice suddenly seemed to leap to my throat, but just as I cried "Who are you?" I began falling into eternal darkness again.

My head jerked up from the ground involuntarily, and I was still shaking from the nightmare. As I was gaining consciousness, a new, familiar voice spoke in my head. The realization of who it was and what it said made it the scariest voice yet. _Skotinaphos, they have been treating us horribly. Don't you see the justice in this? We can help everyone! Kronos was right about reforming the world, but this time we're not going to be evil like the Titans. Your powers are gaining strength. Join us… you can heal and kill painlessly. _

Consciousness finally hit me like a bucket of cold water. Literally. One of the Styrofoam kids had thrown some muddy-looking water all over my head, and had started uproar. After everyone stopped laughing and looking, I rubbed my head off with a small towel from the first-aid kit. I saw that it was getting dark outside, almost time for the talent show. A couple of Hermes' cabin kids were still staring at me, including Abigail.

"Hey, what was going on? Someone's going to harvest your power?" Abigail looked at me suspiciously. "I'd better tell Chiron about this. Something's wrong with you, I can just feel it….I think you might need to go home or something." Normally, I would have responded with a sarcastic comment, but I was shaking from head to toe.

"No! I mean, don't! I-I'll tell you later," I lied. I was so caught up in my fright that I forgot to be irritated at Abigail calling me Skotinaphos. I pretended to clear my throat, and eventually everyone turned away and began whispering to each other. Abigail lingered in front of me for a moment, but I looked away and pretended to fidget with some confetti on the floor. When I looked up again, she was back at her bed, gathering some stuff into her bag. Suddenly, two teenage guys with lots of beads on their necklaces appeared next to me. Oddly, both of the guys looked pretty alike, and not just because they were sons of Hermes.

"Are you okay? Our names are Connor and Travis Stoll. We're uh…kind of like twins…and cabin leaders." _Stoll? Was this a joke? _The shorter one turned to the taller one and grinned at each other knowingly. I was immediately on my guard, looking between them. The two stood there until I started up the conversation intelligently.

"Uhh…I'm okay. Nice last name…you know, since Hermes kids like stealing and stuff, so that's perfect. " The twin Hermes kids nodded and waited again, looking as though they had heard that joke before. I stared around the cabin awkwardly, but nobody seemed to be paying attention to my weird encounter. I got to my feet unsteadily and wondered if I should tell the two a joke. Maybe not. "So, who's who?"

"Oh! So I'm…ha-ha! Oh, sorry, get these really random laughing fits you know…uh…ahem. So I'm Travis, and this is my shorter brother Connor." Connor glared at Travis, but Travis just laughed nervously. Suddenly, I felt something on my head and my hand instinctively reached up to touch whatever was there. I heard a sickening squelch and the two began to laugh. I noticed more laughing from behind and turned to get a hand in my face. Squishy stuff on my face was complementary.

"That fruit-fiber hair gel from the camp store is going to be a classic! Let's hope the Aphrodite kids don't get revenge… those nails hurt, man." I heard the Stoll twins high five each other behind me. "You did a great job, Fel. Sorry, Skotinaphos..sir…guy…no offense. Have a great time! Welcome to Camp Half Blood."

What a nice welcome it was. The twins and some watchers chuckled, and then Connor and Travis walked out of the cabin saying "I think the shop should be closing now, so we can go grab some more free stuff! Maybe next time we'll try out with some jelly beans mixed in." I wasn't sure, but I thought Connor was the one speaking.

"Oh yeah, that's right! Maybe some of those mystery flavors jelly beans with ketchup flavor and stuff! Haven't had this much fun since forever! Let's grab some whoopee cushions too." Then the door slammed, and the cabin was cut off from the conversation, and nobody seemed to make a move to join them or tell on them.

As the hair gel came off my face, I saw a girl in front of me, about 13, laughing her head off. She had some sticky gel on her fingers, so I figured she was the one who had assisted Connor and Travis in their prank, though I had expected a guy. These kids seemed so close-knit that they probably didn't care who helped them in their escapades. Or the Hermes kids just really needed sidekicks. The girl looked a lot like Abigail, except happier and with sandy hair instead of chestnut. The odd thing was, she had a sad aura around her too, but right now it was masked by merriment.

"Who are you?" I said bravely, some gel coming dangerously close to my mouth. I sputtered and felt the jelly drop off my face in a large clump. She laughed harder. I blushed.

"The name's Felicity, at your service! Are you Abigail's new boyfriend, or at least her imaginary one…maybe real? I didn't know she ever got over that Apollo guy Palisander…but I guess you're not too bad. Then again, I heard you were a god, so that's double threat."_ She talks so fast,_ I groaned. I wanted to slap her and laugh at her at the same time. It's really just this weird feeling you get when Hermes and his kids crack jokes and talk. Trust me.

"No! We're not…that. Yeah, I am a god, son of Hades and Persephone. My name's Skotinaphos, but you can call me Scott." Felicity was clearly un-impressed, because she just rolled her eyes. Then the really weird stuff started happening. Felicity suddenly started sobbing and she curled on the floor, in front of my knees. I had a slight feeling of happiness lingering in her, but I also detected sorrow in her somehow.

I remember saying something really smart like "Uh…" I reached down to ask if she was okay when she suddenly smacked a giant handful of gel into my face again, and the laughing began again. I was seriously surprised that all of these Hermes kids had the guts to play pranks on the son of the god of the Underworld. Maybe because I was younger than most of them that they picked on me, but I was guessing they just played pranks on all people. After she stopped laughing and wiping away tears, Felicity had the courtesy to hand me another small, green towel.

"Sorry, I guess it's just in my blood," Felicity said sincerely.

"Ah it's okay. I'll just wipe myself off and get ready to watch the talent show," I replied. Felicity giggled and skipped back to her bed. Suddenly the Stoll brothers came bursting in, huffing for breath and carrying armfuls of stuff. I had no idea how they had snuck so much stuff in without anyone in the camp noticing. The brothers were suddenly like celebrities, all the Hermes kids swarming around them and trying to take stuff out of their arms. A couple of sneaky ones succeeded, running with their vats of potato salad and joy buzzers to their beds and inspecting them. I could have sworn it was like Christmas in fall, and the Stoll brothers were like some sort of beardless twin Santa Clauses.

"_Alright everybody, settle down! _We'll distribute evenly and fairly so you all can play _equally_ funny pranks!" Travis said. Suddenly, there were lots of groans and moaning, but a silly grin started to widen on the Stolls' faces.

"Bo-ring!" Connor bellowed. Everyone cheered again and resumed their supply- stealing. A couple of kids stayed in their corners or on their beds, ones who didn't have an Olympian parent to claim them yet. Other ones, like me, had no cabin to stay in.

When I asked Abigail about cabins as she hauled mustaches and Silly String back to her bed, she just looked annoyed and replied "The owl girl was working on them. She's busy fawning over that ocean dude now." Abigail looked pointedly at her trident necklace and frowned at me. What Abigail said didn't make sense to me, which was probably what she was going for, but I didn't ask any more questions after that. I watched as Abigail went back and forth, gathering supplies alone, not even stopping to talk to the Stoll brothers. Even Connor and Travis stared at her coldly, though they were supposed to be role models and trusted guidance. I guess guys who throw hair gels into a Greek god's face aren't meant to be such great role models anyway.

Abigail finally decided to approach me again, but she had a weird twisted look on her face, like she was holding in a sneeze or something. "Whoa-what is on your face?" she gasped. Then she started laughing like crazy at me. Other Hermes kids stared at her coldly and refused to join in the laughter, though some seemed to suppress snide smiles when they looked at me.

"Hey, my face isn't that bad!" I said, offended. Was my face so horrifying it was turning these fun-loving kids to icy, Ares- like demigods? That was not okay. I mean I always knew I might have looked a bit brooding, but I always thought I looked pretty good…but that was silly of me wasn't it? I was turning into the god I never wanted to be. The ones demigods despised…was that why they were acting this way…?

"Well, yes it is, and it's a nice shade of pickle green. Did the spa forget to give you your face back?" Abigail laughed some more and handed me a small makeup mirror that looked suspiciously like one of the Aphrodite kid's. Sure enough, my face was a shade of "pickle green." I winced and noticed the towel I was holding had some green powder on it. Abigail noticed too, and she cursed at Felicity in Latin. I was soon handed another towel by Abigail, which I inspected cautiously.

"Are you sure-"

"I don't play pranks with them," she said, exasperated. A glint of determination lit her eye and then disappeared. "So when are you going to explain that yelling and crying you were doing?"

"I was crying?"I exclaimed. Abigail cackled and shook her head.

"But you were saying some pretty weird things," she admitted, catching her breath.

"Yeah, I know. Gods get visions and occasional flashes, but I don't think we're supposed to get dream. But the vision seemed…"

"Clearer? Better? More self- centered?"She asked. I shrugged.

"I guess that's true for some visions. How do you know all of this?" It was amazing and confusing that Abigail would have so much expertise on the experiences of Greek gods.

"Oh. Well…I'll tell you that later too." We both chuckled nervously and mentally began our anxious countdown to discovering the truth. I had a feeling we both were reluctant to reveal it, me because I didn't want people to feel endangered. Abigail…I wasn't even sure what she was hiding. But I would know soon enough.

"It's time for the talent show," Abigail told me later, when I had wiped my face clean. Everyone shuffled out the door and approached the amphitheatre, following Travis and Connor.

The amphitheatre seemed to gleam brighter in the twilight. A sparkling banner decorated with golden lyres and drama masks said "Talent Show today! No magic items, weapons or violence allowed." Cheerful, I thought. A line up ahead, probably Ares kids, groaned and shoved each other around before taking their seats as peacefully as possible for them. Abigail disappeared from my side and I was left wandering with the Hermes kids, alone. The powerful demigod aura felt closer, and I began looking around as some the Muses' disciples made finishing touches on the stage.

I leaned over to Felicity, who had just finished a conversation about the techniques of going into gas stops with permanent markers and mustaches, just like Abigail had talked about.

"Nice subject," I commented. Felicity only shrugged and said it was her idea.

"You know…Abigail was telling me about that too. Maybe you'll do it with her?"

"Don't kid around! Do something with that little _pet_? Yeah, I would in a million years. She probably _stole_ that idea from me." There was a look of deep scorn on Felicity's face, yet something in me read some regretful emotion. It was odd, because the feeling wasn't just an assumption. It was a real, deep and sure feeling. I heard words rushing through my head, but they weren't my own. _Wish she didn't have to become a pet…ugh, why am I wasting my time on the pinprick? Why is that godly boyfriend guy of hers staring at me like that…?_

Was I…listening to Felicity's thoughts? I tried out a question to see if it worked. "Why are you calling Abigail a pet and a pinprick? I told you I wasn't Abigail's…boyfriend guy." Felicity looked startled.

"Please don't get mad! Don't turn me into a chipmunk, please! They're the creepiest creatures ever!" I laughed, relishing in the fact that I finally got to laugh at her, and that I held the power this time. Suddenly, I stopped, realizing I was probably acting just like Zeus or Dionysus, who was glaring at me from his seat close to the stage. Felicity settled back into her seat and kept giving me glances, like I was going to turn her into a chipmunk when she wasn't looking.

_Well, that's not going to happen, dear uncle. I'm not going to be you, dad, and mom, or anyone despised by these heroes anymore. _Some kids waiting behind me to get to their cabin's seats grumbled and pushed me, although their pushes were weak, and…sharp. I whirled around and saw some giggling girls with incredibly long and razor thin nails. They were all blond, but more platinum and strawberry than Felicity's sandy hair. Yeah, they were fashionable looking, but they had these clear, shiny eyes that scared the Hades out of me. No, not my dad, the…place, but not really, more like…oh never mind, you get it. The aura from them wasn't strong, but it was overwhelming and swooning, with a dash of…perfume.

_Kind of cute, I guess. _

_Yeah, but I prefer the sophisticated, rugby type, not the dark, mountain climber or whatever he is. _

_Hey, so manicure after the stables? _

_Duh. Those filers do well for those horses, but they are death for our nails. Ooh, want to go break his little heart? He looks so dark and confused, and he's a god...and I heard Abigail's going after him instead of that little appetizer, Palisander. I call 5 rite of passage points if I nab him._

_Agreed._

There were more "agreeds" after, but I quickly disconnected from the thoughts, and decided to stop staring at their eyes. Was I reading their thoughts through their eyes? Or was I just pulled towards those shifting colors…so distracting…

I shuddered and quickly raced to the Hermes cabin seats. _Aphrodite._ Her kids looked like her, but luckily they didn't have that shape- shifting, powerful and giddy aura around them. But I still got a suspicious feeling that they might know about Aphrodite's assistance in the Underworld. I took my seat slowly and watched as the lights dimmed and a red curtain pulled back to reveal a glittery stage. "Oh, man," multiple campers moaned. At first I thought it was the shine, but I saw that a blond girl was standing on stage, her arms folded into an imitation chiton that was draped over jeans and a tee.

"Attention fellow campers! My name is Annabeth Chase and I will be the M.C. of tonight's talent show, which I know _all_ of us are thankful for. Let's give a big thanks to Chiron and a bigger thanks to Dionysus, whose idea made this all possible." The only clappers were some nymphs, a beaming Chiron, and an un-amused Dionysus. Annabeth glared at everyone else with deadly gray eyes and continued. "Now, for the first act, Bealle Van Horner, expert makeover artist and son of Aphrodite, is giving one surprise member of the audience a full redo. Hooray." A sharply dressed 15 year old with dark hair and pale skin walked up to the stage. He then proceeded to literally slap the microphone out of Annabeth's hand. He turned sharply and pulled down his designer glasses to inspect the crowd.

"Hmm…I choose- you!" Bealle pointed a finger at someone in the audience below. Aphrodite girls protested and squealed betrayal and treason. A brunette girl climbed, shakily, onto the stage. Even Annabeth gasped and looked surprised. "I present my model! Erm- what's your name?" The girl kept her back to the crowd and whispered something to Bealle. "Abigail, daughter of…well…she's a daughter!" _Abigail?_ There was muttering and more collective gasps. Bealle quickly began work and stood in front of Abigail, covering the audience's view. After a long, tense 5 minutes, he stood back and grinned. Abigail's hair was curled in perfect chesnut ringlets; she wore glossy makeup, and was dressed in a stylish, pink outfit. She looked horrible. I mean, overall it looked pretty nice, but the look on her face said "Bealle, keep your eyes open at night." Everyone was stunned, but no one applauded her. Nobody would have a chance anyway, because Abigail just got up and stormed off the stage, wobbling in her heels. Bealle just smiled and bowed grandly as he exited the stage, before a relieved Annabeth walked back to center stage to introduce more acts.


End file.
